The Hunters
by patricia51
Summary: Sequel to story "The Wizardess and the Vampire". A group of dedicated and deadly vampire hunters set a trap for Juliet. Believing that she must also be evil they also target her lover Alex. Rated "M" for violence and sexual situations. Alex/Juliet.
1. Prelude The Hunt

The Hunters by patricia51

(A sequel to my story "The Wizardess and the Vampire". A group of dedicated and deadly capable vampire hunters set a trap for Juliet. Believing that she must also be evil they also target her lover Alex. Suggested by Tarantula. Thanks!)

(Prelude - The Hunt)

(Somewhere in the US)

The young woman reeled through the forest. She tripped over a vine that wrapped around her foot and fell heavily against an unyielding tree. She scrambled to her feet and yanked free. She cast a frantic look behind her. Lights were bobbing on her trail. In fact there was an entire semi-circle of spotlights, nearly up to her on both sides.

She thought about making a stand, of turning on her pursuers. No, there were too many of them. She increased her speed, stumbling frantically through bushes and barely avoiding the trees in her path.

What was that? It was a light. A light that shone through a window. There was a house up ahead. And where there was a house there might be a vehicle of some sort. If she could manage to reach that light and find a way to get hold of the vehicle, if it existed, she would have a good chance of eluding her pursuers. They were all on foot now as far as she knew.

She redoubled her rush towards what seemed to be a beacon of hope. She broke out of the forest and reached the single story house. Her eyes took in the silver Ford Expedition parked under a carport. Nearly exhausted, she staggered up on the porch and hammered on the closed door.

"Help! Please, help me!"

A light came on, casting a dim illumination on the porch. The door opened without the rattling of a lock being turned. The woman smothered a curse. She could have walked right in had she known that. But best not to do stupid things like that. Yet. She needed to know who was in there.

Another woman stood in the doorway.

"What in the world?" She exclaimed as she took in the torn and bedraggled appearance of the woman standing there. "Come in, come in."

The idea that she had to be invited in was false of course but it did make things easier usually. She followed the other woman, who seemed to be in her late twenties, back into the kitchen where the other woman began to fuss with a kettle.

"How about a nice cup of tea?"

"Thank you but I'll pass. I need to get away from her. You see, I'm being pursued."

"Pursued? How dreadful," the other woman replied with surprising calm. "Why would anyone do that to such a nice looking young woman as you?" She continued to measure water and then smiled in satisfaction as she put the copper kettle on the stove and turned on the gas burner.

The visitor, never noted for her patience in social situations, had had quite enough pointless chitchat. Furthermore she spotted a rack by the back door which undoubtedly led out to the carport. And the rack held a set of keys dangling from a hook and those keys included a Ford key and remote.

"I really can't imagine why any one would chase me. But whoever they are they seem quite determined to harm me. I saw your light and I'm so glad you were home." She spoke in a soothing, calm voice even as she slipped to one side so that the kitchen table would not be in her way. She poised herself and when her hostess failed to turn around she sprang, her fangs appearing as she did.

She never reached her intended victim. In mid-air something slammed into her, dropping her to her knees. She looked down in surprise to see the point of some sort of spear sticking out of her stomach.

Even that would not be enough to hold her but as she struggled to her feet a door beside the stove flew open and a man holding another pike sprang through and drove it through her shoulder. She writhed on the floor, hissing and biting at the wooden shafts pining her down.

The woman who had opened the door finally turned from the stove. The vacant smiling look in her eyes was gone. In its place was a hard gleam of determination and in her right hand was a hand crossbow with a wooden arrow fitted to it.

The female vampire tried to rise again but yet a third pikeman appeared from the carport and slammed his weapon into her body. None of the wounds were deadly but together they held her helpless in their painful grip.

The other woman hiked herself up onto the edge of the table, one leg swinging freely. The crossbow never wavered.

"Go call the others in," she directed to someone. "They deserve to see this after flushing our fox into the trap." Footsteps hurried out the door and shortly the kitchen filled up with men and women. Some of them the trapped vampire recognized from the group that had pursued her through the woods.

"Oh, I see you know some of the new arrivals," the woman who was obviously the leader remarked. "You thought that was the trap, the broken down car and the helpless two females with it who were stranded in the deep, dark woods. And now, too late, you see that was only the cheese to bring the rat here, where you will meet your final and well deserved doom."

The lead vampire hunter took careful aim with the crossbow. "I'd ask if you had any last words but I really don't care." The crossbow twanged and the dart flew true. The vampiress had just enough time to feel the bolt pierce her heart and then she was dust.

"Well done everyone." The woman lowered her crossbow. "Sweep that dust up and make sure it s put out in the sun first thing in the morning."

A cell phone concealed in a cupboard buzzed. At her nod one of the other Hunters answered it. His eyes widened and he held the phone out to the woman.

"It's your father."

A muted buzz went through the group. One of the other women slipped up to the man who had answered the phone.

"Really?" she whispered. "Daniel himself?"

The man nodded but said nothing more. They all waited as their leader listened and made several one word replies. She snapped the phone closed.

"My Father gives you all his congratulations on a job well done. It's time for us to move on to bigger and more dangerous targets. So we will be traveling to New York City to hunt a pair of the oldest vampires still existent. Our targets will be Alucard and Cindy Van Heuson. Oh," she added as an afterthought, "And their daughter Juliet."

She straightened up and looked every one of her Hunters in the eyes. "And we will succeed as surely as my name is Sarah Holtz."

(To Be Continued)


	2. An Afternoon in the Sun

Hunters, Chapter 2 by patricia51

(Hmm. No one yet has commented on Sarah Holtz. I thought perhaps someone would have spotted her origin from a certain vampire show.)

(An Afternoon in the Sun)

(Danielson Island - Off the Georgia Coast)

Juliet Van Heuson leaned back in her chair and stretched. The flimsy deck chair wiggled under her and she frantically waved her arms in what fortunately turned out to be a successful effort not to fall over.

The girl sitting next to her, whose feet were also up in the air, although more securely crossed at the ankles and resting on a waist high wooden railing broke into laughter.

"That was awesome Juliet! Do you think you can remember those moves for the Fall Festival dance next week?"

"Why?" the long haired girl asked sweetly. "After all, there seem to be a number of rather handsome guys who want to ask me out to that dance. Would it matter to any of them if I could do that?"

"Hey now," Alex Russo pretended to frown in deep dismay but the light hearted twinkle in her expressive dark eyes gave her away. "What guys would that be?"

"Well, there is that cute guy Nick Sabin. He's been eyeing me since our first visit here."

"I actually think he was eyeing me but go ahead."

"Humph," snorted Juliet. "Definitely he was checking ME out that day. And there's Tim Griffith from the baseball team and Wade Lucas from the chess club..."

"Not to mention Robin what's-her-name, the Canadian on the woman's field hockey team," interrupted Alex.

"She IS pretty darn cute now that you mention it," Juliet said thoughtfully. "Strong legs and arms too from all that exercise. I bet she could get a grip on a girl that even a vampire couldn't break."

"There aren't any of those around here and you better not be thinking of trying on the grip of some other girl."

"What are you two fussing about now?" Nora Daniels poked her head out of the sliding glass door.

"My special dance moves and who might be privileged to share them with me at the upcoming dance."

Nora snorted. "As if. Neither of you would dream of going to the dance with anyone except each other, any more than I could imagine going without Kymberly. By the way, I don't know if this is something you have considered but this is a pretty free and easy going administration here, being an Art college after all. No one will blink twice if you go as a couple."

Juliet and Alex exchanged glances and smiled. "That's nice," offered the latter. "We kept our relationship under wraps in high school for a number of reasons."

Perfectly understandable," agreed Nora. "Coming out is never an easy thing. High schoolers can be the most judgmental people in the universe sometimes. And parents!"

Juliet nodded, remembering the reaction of her mother to the confession by her daughter that she had fallen in love with another girl.

Of course there was a lot more to the story than their friends knew. While Nora and Kymberly had unexpectedly witnessed the sight of Juliet and Alex floating through the air while making out and knew that SOMETHING was different about the new students their minds would have boggled completely had they known everything. While the revelation of them both being wizards might have answered their ever-to-be-unspoken question "How did they do that?", discovering that Juliet had been a vampire before being brought to life as the result of a magical wish would have opened a lot of cans that no one wanted to look into.

"Nora did we remember to tell you how perfect this place is and how much we appreciate you inviting us out here for the weekend?"

Nora smiled. "It is lovely isn't it? It belongs to a cousin of mine and he's overseas on business. He gave me a key and told me to look after the place.

"It's lovely," Juliet declared.

Alex agreed. The porch they were sitting on ran almost completely around the bottom floor of a wooden two story house perched on pilings and overlooking the inland waterway that separated the little barrier island it was built on from the main coast. Down a well-worn pathway a small boat bobbed at the floating dock. The sinking sun turned the water to shifting colors matched by the multi-colored leaves scattered over the yard. A barely visible trail split off from the main one to disappear into the woods that covered most of the island.

But to Alex the most beautiful part was her roommate and girlfriend now standing up on the weathered gray boards of the porch. She was barefoot and wore only a skimpy pair of shorts and a loose t-shirt cut off just below her breasts. Unrestrained by a bra those small but to Alex's mind perfect orbs wiggled ever so slightly when Juliet moved and she could see where the former vampire's nipples pressed against the thin cloth.

"Quit checking out my body," Juliet scolded Alex without even turning around to look. "It's not like there's any part of it that you aren't pretty darn familiar with."

Alex laughed and slipped behind her girlfriend, wrapping her arms around Juliet's waist. "Sue me. I enjoy looking. And more." She nibbled the other girl's smooth white neck.

"Hey, no biting," giggled Juliet. She leaned back against Alex. "These last few months have been the most wonderful time in my whole life."

"It's been great," admitted Alex.

And it had been. The pair had got permission from their parents (well, Alex's parents anyway) to come down several weeks before the Fall Term had started. They had moved into the apartment they had found in the same building that Nora and Kymberly lived in. The people they had met during their visit in the late spring, both male and female, had become a tight circle of friends. There had been parties, nights on the town, more beach cookouts and excursions to the different sights and scenes in the surrounding area.

Alex giggled to herself as she recalled the very first beach party they had gone too, back when the Georgia Summer sun was still blazing hot and the sands had been hot under their feet. Juliet had fallen in love with the sun after never seeing it except in pictures or television. As with any love affair she had taken it too far, neglected sunscreen and paid for her first serious fling with a sunburn that took weeks to get over, even with the assistance of magic.

It was funny in another way, Alex admitted as she thought of it. She had been the one who had scolded Juliet and made the point that magic wasn't just a cure-all to be used lightly when lack of foresight or acting on a foolish whim made one come a cropper. Justin would laugh himself silly if he knew how sober and restrained his once uninhibited little sister had become. Not that she would ever let him know about it of course. She could still be devious and sneaky if she needed. And to keep teasing ammunition like that away from her older brother qualified as an all out need to be sneaky.

Of course it hadn't been all parties and days on the beach or nights spent sitting on the roof of their apartment building snuggled together and lost in each other's eyes. To her complete astonishment Alex found that she loved not just her art class but the core classes she had to take. One major difference between here and high school was that she had the luck to have professors who positively encouraged discussion and even reveled in contrary opinions. For the first time in school Alex found herself hurrying to class and flinging herself into heated discussions of history and literature.

If Alex loved college Juliet positively adored it. The former teen vampire came out into the daylight figuratively as well as literally. Everything excited her. She and Alex took long rambles through the old parts of the city. Her enthusiasm had already gained her an invitation to participate in an ongoing project that was restoring an old theatre.

A gust of wind danced over the pair and Juliet shivered.

"Cold sweetheart?" asked Alex.

"It's been so warm all day but as soon as the sun starts to get near it cools right off."

"Unlike you."

"Hmmm?"

"You're hot all the time."

Juliet laughed and snuggled even closer to Alex. "You re my girlfriend. You're supposed to say that." She turned her head and the two girls' lips met in a soft, gentle kiss."

Alex tightened her hold on Juliet, who covered her hands with her own.

"Hey, no need to squeeze me in half. You know that I will always be yours. No one is going to ever take me away from you."

"I love you too, Juliet."

"So we're going to the Fall Festival dance as a couple and then coming over here for the party after, right?"

"Sounds like a plan." Juliet's eyes twinkled. "I have a new dress that is going to knock your socks off Alex."

Arms around each other the two lovers entered the house, talking and thinking about how perfect their lives were and making happy plans for the future. They had no idea about a discussion involving them that was taking place at the same moment that would threaten their very lives.

(New York City)

"I don't care where they might have gone," Sarah snapped as she paced back and forth. "They must have left some trail."

"Perhaps but vampires are masters at hiding their tracks," her second in command reminded her. "The 'Late Nite Bite' sandwich store they were using as a cover is vacant. There is no forwarding address. The lair behind the shop is stripped. About the only thing we found of interest was a drawing on one of the stone walls, presumably by the daughter Juliet."

"What was that?" asked an intrigued Sarah.

"A colored charcoal drawing of the sun."

"That is interesting but I don't see how it helps at this time. Still, file it away. It might indicate a direction they may have gone. Somewhere where the sun shines brightly." She shook her head. "That doesn't make sense to me. Why would a creature of the night draw the sun?"

"This is going to be hard," mused the other hunter.

"They all are hard," Sarah reminded him.

"Yes," came an unfamiliar voice. "But this hunt is going to be even more difficult than you could imagine."

The pair of vampire hunters spun around. Standing in the door was a tall, slender man. He was dark, with shoulder length black hair and the look that burned in his eyes matched that appeared in Sarah's when she was on the trail of a vampire.

"Who are you and what do you want?" demanded Sarah. Her companion stepped slightly forward and in front of his leader.

The newcomer's face showed approval of the man's instinctive movement to protect his leader.

"My name is Matthew Hopkins. And I am on a mission that coincides with your own. You are hunting a vampire named Juliet Van Heuson. I am hunting Alexandra Russo."

(To Be Continued)


	3. Plans

Hunters, Chapter 3 by patricia51

(Note: "Danielson Island" is fictitious but based somewhat on a real place. While most of the larger Georgia barrier islands are publicly held some of the smaller ones are still in private hands.)

(Plans)

(Danielson Island)

The hot water was delightful. Juliet twisted and turned under the steady stream, enjoying the warmth and feeling it sooth away the minor aches and pains the day had brought. After all, sometimes she forgot she wasn't a vampire and immune to those little things. She sometimes pushed too hard, as she had today exploring the island with Alex. But she just had to see the ruins of an old colonial tabby house that stood on one corner of the island, the corner farthest away from the house of course.

She had taken her sketch pad, well, Alex's sketch pad and drawn the slowly falling apart walls that were all that remained. Then, since they had come that far they decided they should swim in the ocean that lapped around the point of land the old house was on. True, they hadn't brought swimsuits but there was no one around so the adventurous pair had skinny dipped. That had been fun but the distant appearance of a fishing boat had caused them to clamber back out of the water before they had time to do more than exchange a few kisses.

They had pulled on their clothes and hurried back to the house. The sun was still warm and had dried them off on the way. But the salt water had made her itch and when the sun began to set and the air cooled off it was nice to retreat into the warmth of the now steamy shower.

Juliet lifted her face into the water. She groped for the bottle of shampoo she had put on the shelf. Her fingers searched without success. She opened her eyes and stared around in exasperation.

"Looking for this?" a familiar voice laughed even as a just-as-familiar body pressed itself against her back. Arms slid around her and the missing shampoo bottle tapped itself against her flat tummy.

"Alex you about scared me to death," Juliet pretended to grumble.

"No I didn't. Now lean your head forward."

The first girl did as requested and Alex began to wash Juliet's long brown hair, working the shampoo into rich lather and massaging her girlfriend's scalp as she did. Juliet's eyes closed again and she relaxed under the ministrations of her girlfriend.

The warm water and Alex's touch floated Juliet away so it was several minutes before the tingling of her bottom really brought her attention back to reality.

"Alex. What are you doing?" she whispered.

Only a giggle answered her.

The question was really rhetorical as the former vampire knew darn well what her girlfriend was doing. Alex's legs flexed and her hips rolled as she rubbed herself against Juliet's tight teen butt. A hand pressing on her back leaned the brunette forward. She planted her hands on the shower wall and wiggled her bottom back against Alex, reversing the motion of her hips to counterpoint that of her girlfriend.

Juliet could feel Alex rising and falling on her toes as she ground herself harder and faster and the young woman pushed back even harder herself. A hand crept around her waist and slid down over the swell of her mound to part her own sex. Fingers explored once more wetness that was caused not by water but by arousal. Juliet moaned and Alex moaned with her.

Alex's fingers plunged deeply inside of Juliet while her thumb slipped under the protecting hood of her most sensitive spot and teased it in tiny circles, the speed of which grew more and more rapid. The dark-haired wizard's head tipped back as she frantically rode her lover, her own pearl rubbing hard on Juliet's upraised bottom.

The wild pace could not last long. Juliet began to shudder. She thrust back against Alex who was all but riding her now. The pair knew each other well, so well that the onset of Juliet's orgasm triggered the release of Alex's own. Juliet spun on unsteady legs and pulled Alex against her, the two teens' bodies molding together as they clung to each other.

When the shaking was under control the two lovers kissed quickly several times before sharing a long deep one that spoke of their love for each other. Then Alex scrubbed Juliet's back, who returned the favor with interest. It's possible they might still be there if the hot water had not run out, leaving them both shivering and springing wildly out of the stall and into the warm comfort of a host of fluffy towels.

Alex was dreamily brushing her hair when she heard Juliet muttering furiously under her breath.

"What is it sweetheart?"

"I can't get my hair dryer to work. I guess there's something wrong with the plug."

The dark haired girl looked over. "No, you're using the wrong outlet."

"Wrong outlet?"

"Remember? Nora told us this house has two completely separate sets of electrical wiring. One is the regular power company. Since the lines running here from the mainland are a bit susceptible to going down Nora's cousin has the house also wired for the big back-up generator out in the shed behind the house."

"I knew that," Juliet sighed as she shifted the power cord to the other outlet. "I guess this is a 'Duh' moment."

"Hmmmmm," Alex pretended to examine the other girl's hair. "Either that or you're going blonde on me."

Juliet wiped the last traces of the steam from the mirror and studied herself. "I'd look really cute as a blonde."

"You look really cute as anything."

"Have I mentioned lately that I love you?"

"I think so but I don't get tired of hearing it."

Finally dried, brushed and dressed the pair joined Nora, Kymberly and the rest of the gathering. There was music and dancing, food and drink and a good time had by all. The girls slipped away as the hour grew late. In the wee hours of the morning when Alex crept quietly to the bathroom she laughed to herself at the sleeping bodies scattered around the big open room that filled most of the bottom story. Everyone seemed to have simply bedded down for the night where they had been when they got tired, singly or in pairs. Of course she didn't mind that, it meant there was little competition of the small bedroom that she and Juliet were in.

The next morning Alex and Juliet were up early. The former vampire and Kymberly fixed breakfast for everyone. Alex contented herself with drinking coffee and watching everyone else clean up.

The group piled down the walkway to the pier. It took three trips in the small boat with its outboard motor to ferry everyone the short distance back to the mainland and their parked cars. Before they went their separate ways an agreement was reached to meet down there Friday night after the dance.

Alex and Juliet had ridden in the last boatload, with Alex giggling as Nora showed Juliet how to run the boat. The long haired brunette nearly drove the craft up on the mudflats that surrounded the mouth of a creek and once headed the wrong way but she quickly got the hang of handling the boat.

"Another talent I never knew you had," teased Alex as they climbed into their battered car and started the drive back to the city.

"I never cease to amaze me," quipped Juliet.

The drive home was uneventful and the girls settled in to do some studying before class in the morning.

(New York City)

"My name is Matthew Hopkins. And I am on a mission that coincides with your own. You are hunting a vampire named Juliet Van Heuson. I am hunting Alexandra Russo."

Sarah Holtz blinked. She apprised this man who had simply walked through all the safeguards and protections that surrounded her. True, those measures were designed to keep the undead away but most of them, particularly the guards, should work as well for the living.

"Who is Alexandra Russo and what does she have to do with our pursuit of the Van Heusons, Alucard and Cindy as well as Juliet?" Somehow Sarah felt there was no need to play games nor did she need to explain why she and her team were hunting the Van Heusons. "And by the way Matthew, why are you hunting this Alexandra?"

"You have your mission in life. I have mine. You are a vampire hunter, as your family has been for a couple of centuries. I am a Witchfinder, as my ancestors were. And Alex Russo is a witch."

"Witches really exist?"

Hopkins smiled. "You accept that vampires are real. Why not witches? But yes, Alex Russo can cast spells, twist the fabric of reality. And my mission is to put a stop to people like her. 'Thou shall not suffer a witch to live'. You battle one facet of evil. I battle another."

"And the connection?"

"Alex Russo and Juliet Van Heuson are lovers. Lesbians. Another affront to decency and goodness. That crime alone is worth punishment."

Sarah shrugged. She personally found nothing wrong with same sex relationships. Nor was she particularly opposed to witches or wizards or Wiccan practioners. Like most vampire hunters she considered herself a Christian. The cross and the priests of the Catholic Church had been allies to her family for generations but she did not accept their condemnation of people who never hurt someone else. But the fanaticism that shone in him would broke no argument and she realized she might need his help.

"If all this is so, how can you help us or we help you?"

Hopkins smiled. That grim smile held no happiness but only intent. "I know where to find them. And I need your hunters to help me corner them in a place where I can neutralize Russo's magic." He held out his hand. "Do we have a deal?"

"Deal."

(To Be Continued)


	4. The Setup

Hunters, Chapter 4 by patricia51

(The Setup)

(New York City)

"So where are Juliet and this Alex girl?" Sarah asked after the hand shake sealed their agreement.

"They're well south of here, in Georgia. The pair is using the pretence of being students at a small art and design college in Savannah. It's perfect for them both. Full of independent free-thinkers who make up a floating population that comes and goes even more so than an ordinary university. Someone disappears? Often there are no real questions asked because the person probably just moved on. There's a nearby military base too."

"In other words a very transient population." commented Sarah.

"Perfect for hiding Juliet's victims. And a fertile ground for the witch's satanic activities too."

Sarah never thought to question as to whether or not there were victims. Juliet was a vampire, therefore there had to be victims of her blood lust. Although she was both highly intelligent and suspicious of anything she was told by anyone not of her hunt she had her own blind spots. Instead she asked how Hopkins had found out this information.

"I had heard of Alex Russo while investigating another suspected witch. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that she was involved in a lesbian relationship with the vampire daughter of one of the oldest vampire couples in the world." His face turned even darker with suppressed emotion. "Although why it should have surprised me I don't know. Evil always draws to other evil."

He shook his head and continued. "When the pair dropped out of sight I followed up on them. The older van Heusons disappeared themselves shortly after the two girls but Alex's parents remained." He grew thoughtful. "As near as I can tell without putting them to the question neither of them is anything but a normal human. I found no trace of witchcraft in either one."

Once more Sarah was blinded by her own goals and beliefs. She killed vampires, that was all. The term "The Question" didn't mean anything to her.

Her second in command frowned to himself, his features having been schooled to give nothing away. Why did the way that Hopkins phrased his comment about the Russos ring a faint bell somewhere in his memory? He couldn't pin it down but it disturbed him and he filed it away to be explored later when there was time. In the meantime there was duty to be performed.

He was not disappointed.

"Abronsius, I want you to take a team and go down there tonight. Find where she, they, stay. Observe their habits. Look for weak spots, especially a chance to get her, them, alone so there will be no danger to innocents."

"At once Sarah."

(Savannah)

"Oh good, you're home," Alex smiled happily.

"Whew," Juliet collapsed into a chair. She leaned forward, untied her work boots and kicked them off. Leaning back she lifted her legs and wiggled her toes with a grunt of relief.

"My, my, aren't you the picture of femininity?" teased the dark-haired girl.

"I bet I do look a sight," replied the brunette, looking around for a mirror.

Alex grinned as she surveyed her girlfriend. Juliet's long hair was bundled up on top of her head and showed unmistakable signs of being confined by the ball cap she had tossed on the table by the door to their apartment. But the cap had not saved the hair from the white dust that seemed to cling to her everywhere. It laid in patches over her arms where the rolled up sleeves of her denim shirt exposed the fair skin as well as the shirt itself and the jeans she was wearing. The dust was nicely complimented by the smear of white paint on one cheek and the lumps of dried plaster where she had wiped her hands on her jeans.

"Well you look like Rosie the Riveter would have if she had been building houses. The paint I understand and I know you've been working on restoring the plaster cornices but what in the world is that white dust?"

"Someone got carried away cutting sheetrock with a saw."

"Huh? I thought you cut sheetrock by using a knife or something."

"You do," was Juliet's reply. "Then everyone doesn't end up covered in dust."

"Well, regardless, you're a mess. Go take a shower. Alone."

"Alone?"

"You're about to fall asleep and so am I. I think snuggling is what we need tonight."

After Juliet managed to scrub most of her collection of mementos of the day's work from her body she crawled into their queen sized bed and spooned up against Alex, wiggling as the other girl slid her arm around her waist.

"I must say you have been the busiest beaver ever this week," yawned Alex as the pair molded together. "Up before the sunrise and home after dark. I hope this is not going to last too long."

"Just this week," Juliet assured her lover. "We'll have the theatre's main renovation done enough for there to be a fund raiser there this weekend. Besides, although they were very understanding I don't think all the other professors are going to allow us to miss any more of their classes. As it is we'll have a time catching up. But all this hands on experience is worth the effort. Next week it will all be back to normal."

"Good. I've misses you terribly." Alex brushed away Juliet's hair and planted several soft kisses on the back of her neck.

"Me too." Juliet laid her arm on top of Alex's and pulled it up until it rested under the swell of her breasts. "But it will NOT interfere with this weekend." This time Juliet's yawn was tremendous. "How are your classes coming?"

"They're good," replied Alex. "I've been fascinated by Doctor Haven's class especially lately."

"That's your Art History professor right?"

"Yes and that part is interesting but what is really exciting is her experiences in discovering art forgeries, authenticating genuine pieces and tracing stolen items. She's traveled all over the world. It's like she's an art detective. It's really awesome."

"It sounds wonderful. You could be Alex Russo, Art Gumshoe Extraordinaire."

"Gumshoe?" Alex giggled sleepily. "You have been watching too many old Humphrey Bogart movies."

"Seriously. It sounds like a fascinating career."

"It does but after all, this is just our first term. Plenty of time to make future plans in the future. For now, go to sleep. You re going to need all your strength."

"For the renovation project?'

"No," Juliet knew that tone of voice and was familiar with the wicked grin that accompanied it even if she couldn't see Alex. "For Friday night. After a whole week I plan to ravage you all night after the dance."

"Promises, promises."

"No brag, just fact."

Juliet turned slightly and lips met in a sleepy kiss before the girls snuggled back together.

"Goodnight Alex."

"Goodnight Juliet."

(Elsewhere in Savannah)

Sarah and Hopkins sat in comfortable chairs while Abronsius briefed them on what he had found out and presented his preliminary plan. The pair had arrived on separate flights from New York, each being met by a driver with a rental car who whisked them away to this location. A warehouse owned by a group that included several supporters of the Holtz's and their aims, a section of upstairs offices had been refurbished to house the hunting party in comfort and provide them with access to both local sources and those far away.

"Operatives have been discreetly shadowing the subjects. Both women are in fact registered with the college here and taking classes. The vampire's movements remain consistent. She leaves their shared apartment before dawn and goes to an old theatre being restored as a college project. A search of building plans, incomplete though they are, shows a warren of dressing rooms, storage areas, service tunnels and other places. I recommend against an attempt on her there. Too many witnesses and too many places for her to hide."

"Any sign that she is feeding there?" asked Sarah.

"Puzzling though it is, no we've found nothing. The same students, faculty and local volunteers that checked in both days also checked out. Of course she may be smuggling a victim in through some secret entrance. She leaves there after dark and returns to her building. We've not seen her go out in the night save to a neighboring apartment once."

"And the witch?" inquired Hopkins.

"She attends classes in Art History and basic required liberal arts core classes. Casual inquires show she has friends and is generally liked except for a tendency to be rather quick tongued and sarcastic. Qualities that more than one acquaintance has remarked are absent when she is with the vampire."

"What is your plan?"

"One of our younger members, with a forged college ID, spent some time in the bookstore cafe area. The witch and a couple of her friends were there yesterday afternoon and discussing a dance that will be held Friday night. The dance itself will. Of course, not be a good place to strike but after it's over there is a plan for a party. A party that will be held on one of the small offshore islands right down the coast. I believe I can arrange things so that only our two targets will be going to the island. And of course we can assemble our hunting party nearby and land them there once the pair is in our trap."

"Excellent job as always Abronsius," Sarah approved. She turned to her male companion. "Matthew?"

"It sounds very good," nodded the witchfinder. "I do caution you though that the first strike must be at the witch. Otherwise her powers may be enough to overcome even a large group. The vampire can be dealt with after. She will have no place to go and will undoubtedly abandoned her partner allowing you to concentrate on her while I take care of the witch."

Once again Abronsius was disturbed at the feeling he was getting from Hopkins. There was an undercurrent of anticipation in his voice that seemed not to fit his self-proclamation of being on the side of Good. The veteran hunter resolved to keep an eye on him.

In the meantime the time for planning had passed. Now it was time to arrange to put the plan into action.

(To Be Continued)


	5. Perfect

Hunters, Chapter 5 by patricia51

(Perfect)

(Danielson Island)

"This," Alex stated dreamily, "Is as perfect as it can get."

"Mmmmmm,' Juliet replied. "And who would have thought it?"

Alex wrapped her arms tighter around her girlfriend. "It sure has been a night of ups and downs," she admitted.

Juliet covered Alex's arms with her own and sighed happily. "All's well that ends well."

"Indeed."

A light spilled from the nearly closed door to the kitchen but other than that the only illumination was the ever changing glow from the flames in the huge flagstone fireplace. Their flickering light danced over the girls, lighting Juliet's fair skin and Alex's more olive complexion. Not that much could be seen. Pillows propped up against a couch let Alex sit up slightly with Juliet lying back against her. A soft blanket was pulled up nearly to Juliet's chin; their exposed arms holding it against their bodies.

"I would wonder where everyone else is except I'm just so happy that wherever they are it's somewhere else," Alex remarked.

A distant rumble of thunder washed across the house.

"Maybe they got caught in the storm and turned back," Juliet remarked as the sound faded away.

"I guess," Alex agreed. She grinned and pulled her hands free from Juliet's and slipped them under the blanket, which slipped enough to demonstrate to any observer that the girls were nude underneath it.

"You," giggled Juliet as Alex's hands brushed over her breasts, "Are insatiable."

"Do you want me to stop?"

"I can't believe you have the energy after all that's taken place in the last few hours."

(Earlier)

"Alex have you seen my earrings?" Juliet frantically rummaged through the top drawer of her dresser.

"Which ones?"

"The gold ones with the ruby chips."

"Juliet, they wouldn't go with your outfit. Besides, I'm already wearing them."

"Oh."

Alex crossed to Juliet, stood behind her girlfriend and reached around her. "Here, these gold hoops would be perfect." She fitted one and turned the other girl's head slightly. "That looks great."

Juliet donned the matching earring and examined herself and Alex in the mirror. A smile lit up her face. "Perfect."

"The earrings, me or you?"

"Everything." The ex-vampire twirled across the room, scooping up her clasp and sliding her feet into her heels. "I mean look at us. Are we not the best looking pair you have ever seen?"

Alex had to agree. Juliet was radiant in a green dress that swept the floor and left her shoulders bare. Alex wore a deep dark red dress, slit up the side to mid-thigh. Her hair was piled in an elaborate arrangement while Juliet's fell free down her back almost reaching her bottom.

"You're shaking sweetheart," Alex observed with surprise in her voice.

"I'm a bit nervous and a lot more than just a bit excited. After all, this is it, finally, being out together as a couple. Something we never were able to do in high school."

"We've been a lot together a lot as a couple," replied Alex.

"Not like this. Sure with our friends but tonight it's you and me, arm in arm, in front of the whole college. I've been looking forward to this forever it seems like."

Alex lightly kisses her girlfriend on the cheek and smiled. "Me too. Let's go."

The girls left their apartment. Within two minutes the door popped open and they charged back in, heading for the closet. Each snatched a coat and donned it.

"Well, I didn't know the storm was moving in this soon," Juliet said a bit defensively.

"I didn't know there WAS a storm coming."

Now properly prepared the girls headed for the ballroom of a local grand hotel where the dance was being held. They parked their car in the hotel's underground lot and headed up the elevator along with a throng of other dressed up students. It took only seconds for them to find and join their friends at a long table. The band was already playing and both girls found their feet tapping to the beat.

"Hey you two," Nick nearly bellowed over the music. "We thought you'd never make it."

"It's all Juliet's fault," explained Alex with a straight face that dissolved into laughter when her girlfriend smacked her butt. "Ohhhh, save that for later!"

"You both look great," Nick complimented them. He pretended to heave a deep sigh. "Now it you would just open yourselves to the wonderful things a guy could do for you..."

Alex and Juliet exchanged a look and a grin. Separating, they each leaned down and kissed Nick on his cheeks.

"If we ever decide to sink that low you'll be the one we call."

"Come on you guys," remarked Nora. "Quit teasing the poor guy before he has a heart attack."

The entire group laughed and the duo sat down in the chairs indicated by their friends. A pitcher was passed down to them.

"This is punch. Plain ordinary fruit punch. No alcohol. It saves having to worry about someone driving down to the coast who is at all intoxicated. And it's pretty good."

Juliet sipped her glass. Alex chugged hers and refilled it. "Not bad," commented the dark haired girl. Now then, let's dance sweetheart."

The two girls headed for the dance floor along with most of their group. The music was fast and Juliet and Alex enjoyed themselves immensely. Then the lights dimmed and the beat slowed and softened. Their eyes sparkling, the pair slid into each other's arms for their first public slow dance as a couple. The rest of their friends paired off with partners or dates and moved slowly to the music.

With all of the table's occupants out on the dance floor no one was paying attention when an obviously inebriated young couple clumsily wended their way along the table. The giggling girl of the pair bumped twice into chairs, nearly fell over and had to brace herself with one hand on the table. It would have taken a particularly alert observer to spot the motion of her other hand, concealed as it was by the actions of the boy helping her back ion her unsteady feet. In rapid succession she spilled a couple of drops of a colorless liquid from a concealed vial into every drink on that side of the table, which included those of both Juliet and Alex.

That keen observer might have followed the pair through an exit. As soon as they were out of sight of the main hall the illusion of drunkenness fell away and they walked briskly out of the building.

"What was the problem? You took forever," whispered the male.

"I couldn't recall for sure which of the seats the two of them were occupying so I dosed all the glasses. Remember the drug has no effect on normal humans, only those with magical powers."

Juliet and Alex had a wonderful time dancing together, so much so that they didn't sit down until the band took its break. This time they both chugged their glasses of punch and grabbed for the pitcher. As soon as the band returned they were back out on the floor.

As the evening wore on the group started to break up. Some weren't going to the coast and left with their dates. Finally the remainder decided it was time to go. Alex and Juliet slipped into their car while the rest sorted themselves out as to who would ride with whom.

"We should have had someone ride with us."

"Nope. Can't take the chance."

"What chance?" asked a puzzled Juliet.

"The chance to urge to ravage you might become irresistible before we get there and we have to park for a while."

"As much fun as that sounds," Juliet pointed through the windshield towards the dark clouds that were gathering, visible when the distant flashes of lightning ran across the horizon, "Let's get to the island before we have to walk in the rain and do any ravaging there."

"Good point." Alex pressed a little harder on the accelerator. The girls had driven this road several times now and had no trouble finding the turns on the narrow road that led over the Interstate and into the forest that crowded up to the sea.

They rounded a curve and Alex automatically put her foot on the brakes at the sight of two Sheriff's Department cars parked on either side of the road with their red and blue lights flashing.

"What's going on up ahead?" wondered Juliet.

Alex peered through the windshield. "Looks like maybe a license checkpoint or something."

"Weird to have one way out here."

Alex shrugged. "Hand me my purse would you?" She dug out her driver's license as she stopped at the uniformed Deputy's signal.

"Good evening Miss. May I see your driver's license please?"

"Is there a problem Officer?" asked Juliet as Alex handed over her license."

"Not at all. Just routine," the man said. "Keeps the number of drunk drivers down."

"Well that's good," observed Juliet. Her gaze wandered to the other marked car where a female Deputy standing. Her eyes met and even through the gloom Juliet felt a bit uneasy at the look in the woman's eyes. Her attention was pulled back to the other officer as he held up Alex's license.

"Your name is Alexandra Russo? And this is a New York license and address."

"Yes sir. We're both from New York. We're students at the Art College."

"You haven't been drinking have you?'

"No sir!"

A smile lit up the Deputy's face. "No I didn't sniff any hint of alcohol. Well, have a good night and drive carefully."

"Thank you sir."

Alex carefully drove on. The male Deputy nodded at the female one who briefly spoke into a hand held radio. They waited patiently. Some time later a pair of cars appeared, slowing to a halt at the signal given by the officer. Nora poked her head out of the driver's window of the first car, looking puzzled.

"Hello Deputy. What's going on?"

"Miss I'm afraid there's been an incident here tonight. The whole of the coastal area has been closed off."

"What in the world happened?"

"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to tell. Suffice it to say that Homeland Security is involved and to go past here would be dangerous. Please turn around."

"Okay. Oh, have you seen two other young women tonight?" Nora went on to describe Alex and Juliet and their car.

"Yes, they were here a while ago," the Deputy admitted. "They seemed nearly as disappointed as you all are not being able to go on. The one driving, the darker haired one of the pair, said something about going south, possibly even to Florida."

"Thanks." Nora heaved a sigh and waved at Nick who was driving the other car. "I guess we'll just have to have that party another day. Let's go to our apartment."

The two deputies waited and listened for over a half-hour after the pair of tail lights had disappeared. No further traffic appeared. Several times the female officer checked the back seat of the cruiser she had been standing by.

"They both okay?" The male walked over and peeked into the car. Two bound figures, one male and one female, both in their underwear, lay quietly on the back seat together.

"They're breathing fine, their pulses are strong and they're still asleep. We'll leave their uniforms and untie them when we take off. Someone will be watching to make sure no harm comes to them."

"Good. We certainly don't want to hurt any law enforcement officers." He shivered slightly. "I know he's an ally but I have to tell you I don't care for that new associate of Sarah's. Hopkins seemed surprised that we didn't simply kill these two Deputies and take their uniforms and cars."

"Abronsius seems uneasy about him too. I think he's keeping an eye on Hopkins. I trust his judgment as completely as I trust Sarah's. More so maybe in this case."

The discussion was interrupted by the crackle of the radio the female fake deputy had used before.

"Okay, let's go. The others are on the island. We're to move to our blocking position. The trap is about to close.

(On the Island)

"Seems funny about there being two boats and finding a note from Nora saying for whoever arrived first to take the small one we regularly use," remarked Juliet as she closed the front door of the house behind her.

Alex nodded absent-mindedly as she surveyed the room. Her eyes came to rest on the huge flagstone fireplace that dominated the far end of the large room. She walked over and smiled.

"What is it?"

"A fire's been laid." Alex rummaged through the stuff piled on one corner of the mantle. With a triumphant grunt she picked up a container of long fireplace matches. "Why don't you get this going and I'll look for something else."

"Something else?" inquired Juliet. She took the matches from Alex, hiked her dress up a bit and squatted by the carefully laid wood and kindling. "What?"

"Oh, just something."

Juliet grinned as she struck a match and touched it to the waded up paper under the kindling. She knew that tone of voice. Whatever Alex was up to was going to be fun.

The fire smoldered and then caught. Juliet closed the mesh wire screen over the flames and rose just as she sensed Alex returning. She turned and her smile got bigger.

Alex had a huge armful of pillows and blankets. She kicked off her heels and carefully spread one on the floor by the nearby couch. The pillows followed, arranged in a pile, and then the other blanket laid to the side. She straightened up just in time for a pair of arms to circle her and a pair of soft lips nuzzled her neck.

The dark-haired wizardess squirmed around in the embrace to face the other girl. "Figured it out did you?" She noticed that Juliet was barefoot too, allowing her to have padded up softly behind her.

"Mmmm, making love in front of a blazing fire on a dark and stormy night. Didn't take long to figure it out. All we need now is a bearskin rug."

"Nope. All we need is each other."

Lips met. The kiss was soft at first, growing deep and passionate by leaps and bounds. Eager fingers sought for and undid catches and zippers. Juliet's dress fell to the floor, joined an instant later by Alex's, forming a red and green pool they stepped out of.

The kisses were wild now, hands running wild over smooth skin. The pair sank to their knees, still locked together as bras were dispensed with. They Alex pushed Juliet down onto the soft blanket and fell upon her lover. Thighs parted, welcoming the touch of urgently seeking fingers. Hard nipples rubbed together and the pair locked in an embrace that didn't subside for many minutes as the two young women made love to each other, frantically at first and then slowly after their first hurried shared orgasm. Eventually they snuggled together, the dimming flames from the fire bathing them as they relaxed and dozed slightly, warm in the moment.

"Alex?"

"Humph?"

"Wake up. For a moment at least. I think we should go to bed. Sooner or later someone from the group is going to get here and I don't want them to find us nude together on the floor in front of the fireplace."

"Gessssh. Okay," Alex grumbled. The pair stood up and stretched, and laughed in unison as they each caught the other peeking at their flexing bodies. Juliet gathered their clothing and the covers and started for the bedroom. Alex, having left all that to her girlfriend was about to follow when something caught her attention from the corner of her eye. Frowning, she walked over to one of the windows and peered out. Had she seen movement?

Just as she decided it had been her imagination a lightning flash, closer than any previous one, lit up the front yard. She gasped as her eyes darted back and forth from one menacing figure to another.

"Juliet, get dressed. NOW. There are people outside the house and I don't think they're any of our friends.

(To Be Continued)


	6. Pursuit

Hunters, Chapter 6 by patricia51

(Pursuit)

"Juliet, get dressed. NOW. There are people outside the house and I don't think they're any of our friends."

Juliet never hesitated. She sprinted to the bedroom they usually used and grabbed their bags, dumping them on the bed. She jerked on jeans and a pullover top and jammed her feet in a pair of sneakers. She snatched up an almost identical outfit for Alex and rushed back into the great room, handing the clothing to the other girl. As Alex dressed the long haired brunette slipped over to the window and peeked out from the side.

"Crap," muttered the ex-vampire under her breath. As soon as she saw Alex was dressed she spoke over her shoulder. "The kitchen door, Alex. Check through the window there but try not to be seen if possible."

Alex nodded, shaking slightly. What the hell was going on? But she padded back to the small kitchen in the back corner of the house, eased a corner of the curtain sideways and took a quick glance. Her heart sank.

"Juliet, there are people back there too." Alex took a deep breath and got hold of herself. "And they look to be carrying weapons of some kind and from what I can see of their faces I don't think they're the local chapter of the Americans for Traditional Families come to reason with us about our choice of life partners."

"Maybe it's all some mistake, or maybe we're in the middle of a 'Fear Factor' filming," Juliet said hopefully. That hope was dashed when a male voice rang out from the front of the house.

"Alex Russo and Juliet Van Heuson. Come out and meet the fate your evil has decreed for you."

"Maybe it IS those people you mentioned. Some of them get very hard-core about same-sex relationships."

"Never mind that." Alex raced across the room and grabbed Juliet's hand. "Recite the 'Transportium' spell with me and let's be somewhere else. Like Hawaii."

"Hawaii sounds very good." The two girls laced fingers and chanted the words of the spell aloud together.

Nothing happened. They looked at each other. They tried again. Same result. Juliet looked in astonishment at Alex who shrugged helplessly.

"Oh by the way", the voice came again, closer now. "Don't try to use your wicked magic Alex Russo. Or by all means DO try. But you'll find that it won't work. A little potion of my own devising added to your punch at the dance suppresses your witchy powers."

"We're not witches. We're wizards," muttered Alex.

"Either way we still need to be elsewhere," Juliet reminded her girlfriend.

The voice, which Alex had already decided had replaced Gigi's as the number one voice she hoped never to hear again, started to speak. Now he was on the porch and right by the front door. That probably explained how his gloating comments suddenly changed to a howl of pain as Alex threw a chair through the window. The glass was still falling when Juliet crossed the room and pulled the main circuit breaker, plunging the building into darkness. The two girls dashed into their bedroom where they flung up the window and climbed out into the night. Pausing only to squeeze hands for luck they ran for the dock.

They raced down the dark path. Only instinct saved them as the hair on the back of Alex's neck suddenly bristled. She grabbed Juliet's arm and pulled her to one side just as something hissed by them. There was a dull thunk and then another. In the light of another lightning flash the pair stared at two wooden bolts quivering in the tree right next to them.

They turned back. Underneath the rumble of the thunder they heard running feet pounding both up and down the path they were on. Flashlights sprang to life and beams shone through the trees. Alex looked around wildly, then grasped Juliet's hand and jerked her down the dim trail that ran off to the side. They covered a few hundred yards and then sprang off the side of the trail, crouching in middle of a thick clump of bushes.

Hearts beating they hid there, catching their breath. It wasn't long before other figures came down the path, their flashlights waving back and forth as they searched the trail. Alex started to rise after the lights faded but Juliet grasped her arm and shook her head. Her caution proved well founded as after a minute or two a dark figure detached itself from the shadow of a tree and crept down the pathway. It stopped near them, apparently listening. After a bit it continued on. The girls waited until they were absolutely sure they were alone before whispering to each other.

"What the HELL is going on?" asked Alex.

"I don't know for sure but those wooden bolts that were fired at us makes me think we're dealing with vampire hunters," replied Juliet.

"But you're not a vampire anymore!" responded Alex

"I guess they don't know that," shrugged the other girl. She grew thoughtful. "Maybe if I showed myself I could prove it and they would leave us alone."

Alex's head shake could barely be seen in the dark. "More likely they'd shoot you full of those stakes. And besides, the guy with the creepy voice seems more interested in me than in you. That comment about my 'wicked magic' says something. And the potion to dampen my powers, which incidentally has stopped yours too. This speaks of some plan to get both of us."

"Vampire hunters and what? A witch hunter too?"

"And pretty fanatical too. Well organized to boot. I don't think we're going to have much luck negotiating."

"So what do we do?"

"We hide somewhere while we look for a way off the island or find someway to call for help."

Soft wet plops on and around them announced that the threatened rain from the storm had begun to fall. As much as she had matured over the last couple of years Alex still hated to be inconvenienced; and calling being chased and scared on a dark island even without getting soaked to the skin being 'inconvenienced' was a massive understatement. Still, she admitted to herself, it would help them stay hidden from their pursuers. Still, if her powers came back anytime soon those pursuers were in a world of hurt.

"Hide where?"

"Let's try to get to the far end of the island and the ruins of the old house. We might even find a place out of the storm."

Slowly and carefully the pair crept through the tangled undergrowth around the trees. They were familiar enough with the island that they were able to stay off the trails and the searchers that seemed to be endlessly roaming up and down them. But by the time they reached the crumbling walls they were soaked, muddy and scratched from vines and thorns they had encountered.

Twice they had been forced to lie flat when groups of their pursuers passed close by. Overheard comments revealed that although those searchers were dedicated and experienced vampire hunters they were clearly not comfortable with the leadership of the man Alex guessed had been the one taunting them and arranging to suppress their powers. There were remarks by more than one member of the two groups that they wished some woman named "Sarah" or even better someone called "Abronsius" was present.

"Sounds like they're not one big happy family," whispered Alex after the second group had moved on.

"I don't think we can count on it to help us though. Some of them don't like his pursuit of you but it sounds like they will follow his orders."

It seemed to take hours. It probably did. But finally the two girls reached the old tabby house and began to look for a place to hide. The rain was coming down harder now. The two miserably wet girls crouched together in the slight shelter of a crumbling wall. They found a slight indentation that might have been for a fireplace. Holding each other tightly they pressed into it, sparing themselves from a little of the rain and the worst of the wind.

"Alex?"

"Yes, Juliet?'

"No matter what happens, I'm glad we found each other. I want you to know just how much I love you."

Alex's teeth, and Juliet's too for that matter, were chatting too much in the cold for much of a kiss but they managed. The dark-haired girl touched her shivering girlfriend's face with her fingertips.

"Justin always used to say that knowing me and the scrapes I got into that he ended up helping me out of made him a better wizard. I hope it did. I know I drove him crazy. But knowing you Juliet has made me a better person, even though I didn't always want to be one. I love you so much."

They clung to each other for more hours until Juliet lifted her head from the shoulder it had been resting on and looked around.

"Alex, the storm is breaking up and it's nearly dawn."

The other girl peered out through the diminishing rain. Gray outlines of the old walls could be seen through the gloom.

"I wonder. We're so soaked anyway that getting wet any more could hardly matter. Why don't we try to swim to the mainland? We'd have to be careful; we wouldn't want to get stuck in those low tide mudflats but we know where they generally are."

Alex nodded. "I wouldn t have wanted to try this at night because if we got lost in the dark we'd drown. But I think it's our only chance. We can't stay here. Sooner or later they'll find us." She pointed. "We'll run that way to the end of this spit and plunge in there. The mainland is to our left then so we'll swim that way."

Groaning they untangled themselves from their nook and each other and tried to stretch some of the multitude of kinks out. Suddenly the sound of voices galvanized them.

"Run!" commanded Alex.

The pair jumped from the ruins and sprinted as well as they could towards the end of the island. They were immediately seen as the yells behind them told them. Alex took the lead as they ran or more correctly hobbled quickly. The evil hiss of an arrow flying past alerted them their pursuers were close.

"Just a little more. Through this clearing and then down the bluff!"

As close as they were it wasn't close enough. Juliet screamed as the next crossbow bolt tore through her shoulder. She staggered and fell. Alex ran back to her girlfriend. She nearly screamed herself at the sight of the other girl writhing on the ground and the blood pouring from the wound. Terrified that Juliet might bleed to death Alex pulled off her own jacket and top. She ripped the latter in two and stuffed the wet cotton around the entrance and exit holes.

"We got one!" yelled someone.

"Don't move in until Hopkins gets here," commanded another voice.

"Alex," Juliet gasped through the pain. "Go on. Run. Please Alex."

Alex pulled the other girl to a downed tree and propped her up against it to ease her breathing. She picked up a broken branch and hefted it.

"Alex!"

Alex smiled although she wanted to sob. She bent and kissed Juliet. Straightening up she looked at her lover.

"I'll never leave you." She hefted the branch in both hands and watched the opening to the clearing.

That clearing was soon jammed with figures outlined in the wavering light of the dawn trying to break through the clouds. Hardened Hunters though they were, the men and women hesitated at the sight of the dark-haired teen, a piece of wood clutched in her hands like a club, defiantly standing over the long haired brunette. Tears ran down her cheeks but her eyes were alight with anger and determination.

"Come on. Come on! Don't tell me all of you are afraid of one girl?"

The group facing her waited until a tall nearly gaunt man with tangled black hair stood through the crowd and faced Alex. His face was alight with savage glee as he looked at her and at Juliet. Careful to stay out of range of Alex's impromptu weapon he gestured to the gathered Hunters.

"You may kill the other one but that one," Hopkins pointed at Alex and the look on his face made the nearby Hunters blanch, "Needs to be taken alive. I have questions for her."

The Hunters raised their crossbows but did so reluctantly. Still, they did as they were told and attempted to take aim at Juliet. The shifting light of the breaking dawn made it hard to find an aiming point past Alex as she tried to protect Juliet with her own body. The crossbows steadied. Alex could not cover her lover completely.

"Fire!" cried Hopkins in glee.

"NO!" Alex screamed. To her surprise her single word plea was echoed by a deep, firm voice.

"NO! Do NOT fire."

The Hunters, each keeping one eye on the girls, stepped back slightly and raised their weapons. They looked and Alex followed their gaze to a strongly built man with an air of command.

"Stand down," he ordered. "This goes no further."

(To be continued)


	7. Realizations

Hunters, Chapter 7 by patricia51

(Realizations)

"Stand down," the powerfully built man ordered. "This goes no further."

Alex watched in astonishment as the menacing crossbows were immediately lowered. A murmur swept through the group as they stepped back seemingly in awe of the man who had shouldered his way through the group. Older than anyone there, his short gray beard reinforced his stern dignity.

If the Hunters were abashed at the man's appearance Hopkins was enraged at the disappearance of the threat to Alex and Juliet. He rounded on the newcomer.

"Who are you? How did you get here? How dare you interfere in my mission?" the witch finder sputtered.

"My name is Daniel Holtz. And I am here just in time, I hope, because one of my most trusted associates, who is also a good friend, communicated his unease about you and your actions. As for your 'mission', it ends here and now."

"The Hell it does! Not before I settle that witch!" Hopkins screamed. He jerked the crossbow from the grip of a startled Hunter and spun to face Alex. The butt of the weapon touched his shoulder and he squinted through the sights. There were cries of alarm and Alex braced herself, hoping that somehow she could deflect the deadly missile with her branch.

Just as the crazed man's finger touched the trigger there were two loud reports. Hopkins s eyes widened even farther. He looked down. Dropping the crossbow he pawed at his chest before collapsing bonelessly. He hit the ground and didn't move.

Eyes turned. At the edge of the clearing stood a young woman. She held a heavy pistol in a two-handed grip. The muzzle still tracked the fallen witch hunter. Then the young man standing beside her reached over and carefully removed the weapon from her grip. She made no attempt to hold on to it. She sagged against him and he wrapped an arm around her as she stared at Hopkins s unmoving form.

"I never... I mean... not anyone human..." the woman faltered, her face as white as a sheet in the early morning light.

"It's alright Sarah," said the man holding her.

Daniel shook his head. "Abronsius, would you take care of her please?" He turned to one of the female Hunters. "Faith do you have your medical kit?" When the dark haired, leather clad woman nodded he continued. "Good. Please see to the young woman there and care for her until we can get her to a hospital."

Alex stood her ground, warily eyeing the approaching woman. Seeing that Daniel spread his hands wide and reassured her.

"Alex, I realize that you have no reason to trust us. You have been treated horribly. All I can say is that part of this whole terrible error was brought about inadvertently and the rest by over-zealousness on our part combined with a stranger whom we foolishly thought was in sync with our own aims. We were wrong and it's my entire fault. But now I promise you no further harm will come to you."

Alex looked into the man's eyes and believed him. She dropped her improvised club and turned back to Juliet as Faith knelt beside her fallen girlfriend. Tears filled the dark-haired wizard's eyes as she also fell to her knees besides Juliet.

The female hunter turned medic quickly examined Juliet's wound. She pulled a syringe from a backpack she had placed beside her and gave the ex-vampire teen a shot.

"Morphine," she explained at Alex's questioning look as she rapidly checked Juliet's eye and her pulse. "She's going into shock. Bring me some blankets or coats. Not yours," she forestalled Alex's instinctive reaction as she started to struggle out of her jacket. "First yours is soaked through and second you don't need to go into hyperthermia. Especially since your top is in rags. Juliet is going to need you. Take her hand."

Alex did as she was directed, lacing her fingers with Juliet. Other hunters piled warm coats over her fallen lover and one was gently draped over her own shoulders. Its warmth made her realize how much she was shivering.

"Even with the morphine this is going to hurt. Hold tight." directed Faith. She put her hand on the protruding tip of the bolt as two of the Hunters gently but firmly gripped Juliet. Then with one quick jerk of her arm she pulled the impaling arrow forward and through Juliet's shoulder.

In spite of the morphine Juliet cried out and struggled in the seconds it took Faith to remove the bolt. Alex held on for dear life as her girlfriend tried to squeeze her hand off. Then it was over and bandages were quickly bound to Juliet's shoulder and she was lifted on an improvised stretcher. The bearers walked quickly but carefully the rest of the way to the point where Alex had earlier planned for the pair of them to try to swim to safety. A boat was already bobbing there, apparently the one that had brought Daniel there.

Alex was struck by the way that the four hunters who just minutes ago were trying to kill the pair of them waded into the water without breaking stride, patiently holding Juliet clear of the water until they reached the boat's side and stood there while others climbed onto the boat to lift the wounded girl gently onto the deck. She started when a pair of strong arms scooped her up. She looked up to see Daniel's stern face set with concentration as he carried her to the boat. He lifted her up to waiting hands and then was pulled in himself. Immediately the boat roared to life and headed up the coastline as they went below to where Faith was keeping watch on Juliet.

"She'll be fine," the woman medic assured Alex. "The bleeding has stopped. I've given her an antibiotic and hung a bag of blood expander. Right now she's asleep." Alex still wanted to cry as she looked at Juliet but took a deep breath and got herself under control. Daniel's voice broke through her concentration.

"I think the quickest way to get Juliet to the hospital will be to take her up the river to the city. I will have an ambulance standing by when we dock."

"Thank you."

The man shook his head. "You have nothing to thank us for. We let our zeal get in the way of our reason and this was the result. Feel free to tell the police the truth of what happened."

In spite of everything Alex giggled. "You mean tell them that my ex-vampire girlfriend and I were ambushed by a group of Vampire Hunters working with a Witch Hunter who had drugged us so that our magic powers were stifled? I think a simple hunting accident would be a lot better."

A smile tugged at the corner's of the man's mouth. "Probably."

An ambulance was indeed waiting at the end of the pier when the boat docked. Juliet was brought on deck and loaded onto the gurney. The paramedics out her in the back and allowed Alex to ride along when it was explained that Alex's mom in New York was Juliet's legal guardian but that because of the distance involved each of them had a medical power of attorney for the other. Once at the hospital Juliet went off to surgery while Alex filled out paperwork.

The numerous forms and questions kept Alex so busy that before she realized it a Doctor was calling her name. She dropped the clipboard and stood up.

"Here I am."

"Miss Russo I'm Doctor Meltzer. I'm pleased to tell you that your cousin came through everything just fine. Whoever treated her on the scene did a fine job. We had to remove a few splinters of wood from the arrow but she's all stitched up and in Recovery now. We'll be moving her to a room before long. I have the room number here," he smiled, "in case you would like to go up there and wait for her." He raised his hand. "And no, you can't see her in Recovery."

Alex tried her patented puppy-dog eyes to no avail. Darn it, she was really going to have to work on that. It just didn't seem to have the old effect anymore. She sighed. Growing up was really tedious sometimes. However the good news was that Doctor Meltzer told her that overnight should be all that Juliet needed to spend there.

"Good. I hate sleeping in a chair."

Regardless of her grumblings the events of the night caught up to Alex. She settled into a surprising comfortable chair next to the bed where they would be bringing Juliet. She closed her eyes for one moment. When she woke up she cracked one eye open against what she realized after a minute was the glare of the setting sun coming through the blinds. She groaned and forced her other eye open and uncurled herself from the position she had been sleeping in, stretched and yawned.

"It's about time."

Alex's sleepiness dropped away instantly. Juliet was sitting up in bed, a tray across her lap showing evidence that her appetite had not been very good. She was pale but she smiled.

The dark-haired girl was out of her chair like a shot so she could wrap her arms around Juliet. Well, that was the plan. But her legs were still asleep and her back was twisted and she was generally stiff and achy all over both from her nap and from what had happened over the last twenty four hours. But, groaning and announcing her aches and pains, she made her way to her girlfriend, who was shaking with what Alex realized was suppressed laughter.

"What's so funny?" she asked grumpily even as she bent over the bed, slid her arms carefully around Juliet and kissed her.

"Probably that if someone was only listening they would think that you were the one who had been shot," came Daniel's deep voice.

"Humphhhhh," was the only comment Alex made. Somehow it didn't surprise her that the chief of the Hunters was here.

He came around to the other side of the bed. "How are you feeling Juliet?"

"Well, to be honest, I feel like I spent the night running through the forest and then got shot through the shoulder with an arrow."

Amazingly, although he looked a bit sheepish, the older man laughed.

"Well said Juliet. I deserve that." He turned serious. "I came by to check on you. I've spoken with Doctor Meltzer and he assures me you will recover completely although he is going to prescribe some physical therapy for you. I also came to apologize once more for our mistakes; both that of thinking that you were still a vampire Juliet and for letting ourselves be swayed by Hopkins."

"My parents," Juliet spoke hesitantly, "told me there were vampire hunters. And I suppose I really can't blame them, I mean you that is. My father sometimes seems ridiculous and my mother acts like a typical woman but I know deep down that over the centuries they have killed heaven alone how many people. Still," she looked challenging at Daniel, "they ARE my parents and I love them. They made sure that I never fed on a person. I don't know where they are now but if I did I wouldn't tell you."

"Neither would I ask you too Juliet. I am curious though. You were a vampire at one time, this is certain. How did your change take place?"

Juliet smiled and took Alex's hand. "Love and the luck to fall in love with a Wizard."

"Ah, well then it's not something we can bottle and give to all the vampires. It would be nice to bring them back to humanity rather than kill them though. But one does what one must."

"The vampire hunting thing I can understand, although I'm curious how you happened to get involved in it. But who was Hopkins and what was his place in this?" inquired Alex.

"I, and my daughter Sarah whom you met briefly, came to this almost genetically. The head of our family, whom I am named after, was the first vampire hunter in our line in the 17th Century. His cause was just but because of what happened to his first family the army he raised was more of an instrument of vengeance rather than of justice. But before he disappeared he fathered another son, also named Daniel. The line has existed since then, passed from father to son and the descendants of his original force still work with me today."

"And Hopkins?"

"Hopkins also came from a family that specialized in something. In their case it was Witch Finding. Research conducted by my aide, and I hope one day son-in-law, Abronsius showed that the original forbearer, named Matthew as was this man, was a really nasty piece of work. He found witches whether they existed or not and used extortion and torture to wring confessions from people and money from those he 'saved'. This Matthew was sincere but he had inherited, if that can be passed on, his ancestor's fondness for causing pain, although he had made mental justifications for it. Unfortunately he was also quite convincing and charismatic and my daughter Sarah believed him. I am so sorry. I promise you in the future we will be much more careful."

"Fortunately Abronsius was not convinced by him and looked into his motives and actions and discovered enough to warn me. I wish I could have come earlier but I thank God I was there in time. Rest assured you will never be troubled by us again."

He turned to leave and stopped. "Oh, Sarah went through Hopkins s papers and discovered his notes on the drug you were given. It will wear off in a couple of days. What powers you have I don't understand but I trust my instincts that they are not evil. Farewell always." The door closed and he was gone.

The girls looked at the door and then at each other.

"He may be a good guy, even a great man, but I sure am glad he's gone."

"You and me both," replied Alex. She took Juliet's tray, examined it and wolfed down what the other girl had left. Seeing the amusement in Juliet's eyes she snorted. "Hey, I'm hungry!" She finished off the tray and placed it outside the room door. Returning she pried off her tennis shoes and climbed onto the bed. "Now, move over. I'm pooped."

Nurses checking through the night never bothered the two girls. Next morning Doctor Meltzer came by, examined Juliet and pronounced her fit to go home. A wheelchair was brought and Juliet, protesting her ability to walk, was firmly settled into it. Alex pushed her down the hall to the elevator. With a great deal of trepidation Alex went to sign Juliet out and get the bill. The sign out was easy. She was surprised to be told that the bill had already been taken care of. Additionally a man was standing in the lobby holding a sign that read "Alex Russo". He explained that he had a van outside and would drive them back to their apartment.

Reaching their place the man helped Juliet from the van. Being assured that she could walk just fine on her own darn it, he loaded the wheelchair back into the van and promised to deliver it back to the hospital. Alex guided Juliet up the stairs and into the living room of their apartment where she installed her girlfriend in a huge overstuffed chair by the window looking out over the colonial square below. She pulled a stool over, lifted Juliet's feet up and propped them on it, pulling off the other girl's shoes as she did.

"How's that?"

"Lovely."

"Good, because I'm worn out." With that Alex squirmed into the chair beside Juliet, wrapping her arms around her and heaving a sigh of satisfaction.

Juliet threw back her head and laughed. She reached up, took Alex's hand where it draped over her shoulder and squeezed it. "I love you Alex Russo.

Alex grinned. "Tell me something I don't know."

(The End)

(Just couldn't resist ending the story with that line. Everyone knows where it came from. If not, shame on you!) 


End file.
